Nokia Lumia 521

Did you see the tech gift guide I wrote with my husband, Dan Tynan, in the June issue? (It’s not online yet.) There are lots of great tech gifts in it. But that story contains only a fraction of the cool gear we wanted to include. Here are some more ideas.

Nokia Lumia 521 Windows Phone

Is your grad old enough to take over his own cell phone plan? Sweet! Get him started right with this slick, capable, social connector Windows phone. Not only will it keep all his people glance-close on the start screen but he will be thrilled with its tight ties to his Xbox. And once he’s hooked on having it always with him, it will help him with his studies: Microsoft Office? And the best student tool I know of: OneNote. All right there in his pocket. That’s how to stay on top of school work. The low price and a no-commitment, no-contract plan from T-Mobile will help him handle his own fiscal autonomy, too.$129, Walmart

Ventev Colorful Chargesync Cables

I couldn’t persuade Dan or my editor that these cables would be well-received as a gift. But I love the idea of a pretty color-coded bouquet of chargers that solve – at a glance – the need to plug in all my devices and get them working again. Choose different colors for each of her gadgets, tie them up with a ribbon, and she will thank you every time she plugs in her favorite device.

iPad Mini

Dad? Grad? Who doesn’t want one of these? I find the full-size iPad a bit big to cart around. But this little one fits easily into a purse, backpack, or hand. But it opens the door to quick bill paying, going to school via iTunes U, games, social media and the 300,000 apps in the Apple App Store.

Galaxy S4

If your grad could use a little help keeping up with life or the demands of college, this phone will have his back. News? Directions? Help keeping track of his schedule? Yep. And in ways you never thought possible. Example: It will watch his schedule and start making suggestion when it’s time to get going. And it will amaze him with all the cool new technology it sports – such as the ability to watch his eyes to see if he’s still reading before powering down the screen. It will handle the minutia of life so your little genius can focus on decoding the genome – or whatever his passion happens to be. And you can pick one up at Target Mobile so it’s easy for you, too.

UP

Is Dad trying to take better care of himself? Encourage that by giving him this stylish wristband that tracks steps, connects him to a community of other UP users for encouragement, and watches how well he’s sleeping so he can be happy, healthy, and hip. Comes in a great choice of colors (so you might want one yourself). He won’t lose it because it never has to take it off – not even to shower. And syncing it to his smart phone or tablet, is as easy as plugging in a pair of headsets. So it won’t add to his frustration. (Don’t tell him but this is what I’m getting Dan.)